The invention relates to a scanner which is used for a reflection type reading object from which information is read on the basis of reflection of illumination light, and a transmission type reading object from which information is read on the basis of transmission of illumination light.
A scanner is known which is used for both a reflection type reading object (for example, a color print) from which information is read on the basis of reflection of illumination light, and a transmission type reading object (for example, a 35-mm negative film) from which information is read on the basis of transmission of illumination light.
Such scanner comprises a body case and a cover case, and an information reading unit is disposed in the body case. The information reading unit is configured by: an illumination system which has a linear-illumination light source, and which emits illumination light toward a reflection type reading object to form a linear illuminated portion on the reflection type reading object; and an image receiving system which receives an image of reflected light from the linear illuminated portion of the reflection type read object. The information reading unit conducts a scanning operation in the body case in a scanning direction perpendicular to the linear illuminated portion. As a result of the scanning operation, information of the whole face of the reflection type reading object is read.
In the cover case, fluorescent lamps which elongate in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction are arranged at predetermined intervals in the scanning direction. When information of a transmission type reading object is to be read, the linear-illumination light source of the reading unit is turned off, and the fluorescent lamps in the cover case are turned on so as to illuminate the transmission type reading object with the illumination light. The reading unit then conducts a scanning operation in the scanning direction, and information of the whole face of the transmission type reading object is read on the basis of illumination light which passes through the transmission type reading object.
In the scanner, the linear-illumination light source dedicated to illumination of a reflection type reading object, and the fluorescent lamps serving as the light source dedicated to illumination of a transmission type reading object must be separately disposed. Furthermore, the illumination system must be configured so as to prevent the amount of illumination light due to the fluorescent lamps from being unevenly distributed. As a result, there arises a problem in that the whole size of the scanner is increased.